A friend of mine and me have been discussing about his TL about Indonesia that gains independence through cooperative means through political marriage between Sarekat Islam and the colonial government. There were two parties that took progressive stance over colonial subjects, the liberals and the socialists. The Liberals began what we now know as "Ethical Policy" that aimed to advance native education and living standard post-Cultuur Stelsel that eventually created the ground fertile for national awakening and political ferment. One of its by-products was Sarekat Islam, first rose as a means to counter chinese rivals in business, receiving influence from Islamic reformism in Egypt and Ottoman Empire and boosted by Ethical Policy, it developed into a political movement to better the sophistication of the natives and achieving eventual self-rule. At first it was sympathetic towards the Netherlands, then under the liberal government, which interest aligned with them and setting favorable conditions for the muslim natives at the expense of the chinese. Sarekat Islam even held Sukuran and pray for Queen's well being on her birthday, and it didn't escape the later's notice. However, the colonial establishment wasn't nearly committed enough to coopt them, while Sarekat Islam itself was internally divided and there had always been a dormant element that was anti-cooperation to begin with, which got unleashed once the party got infiltrated by radical influences, most notably communism and eventually splintered apart.
I will my friend's PoD a secret, but essentially Sarekat Islam wins expressed approval from the Queen and it will lead them into becoming the most favored native political entity. That lies a basis for a much more boosted native participation in colonial government and eventually a pro-west Islamic regime in East Indies. The final stop is obviously independence through granting of self-rule by the mother country.
However, there's one interesting point. I've been only talking about Liberal Party. Socialist Party of Netherlands, had an even more progressive idea of how to run the colony. They seem like they were actually aiming for true equality between Europeans and none-Europeans. They actually intended to industrialize the East Indies should they ever get the chance to. If that should pass, it'll be a matter of time for the colonial economy to eventually threaten homeland's primacy, and they'll make sure it will be restricted and regulated so it won't go out of hand, from their perspective. Most likely outcome we can expect is that NEI will be granted independence under some kind of arrangement that will benefit Netherlands or at least protect it from undesired possibilities.
However, what if, say, the industrialization of the colony might get somewhat out of hand, leading to a shift of industrial center towards East Indies, and ultimately political center ? How can that be possible ? Personally, I think short of cheating on democracy at home by determined profit-thirsty one percenters with no leash, it just won't happen. How do we get those said one percenters ?
I will my friend's PoD a secret, but essentially Sarekat Islam wins expressed approval from the Queen and it will lead them into becoming the most favored native political entity. That lies a basis for a much more boosted native participation in colonial government and eventually a pro-west Islamic regime in East Indies. The final stop is obviously independence through granting of self-rule by the mother country.
However, there's one interesting point. I've been only talking about Liberal Party. Socialist Party of Netherlands, had an even more progressive idea of how to run the colony. They seem like they were actually aiming for true equality between Europeans and none-Europeans. They actually intended to industrialize the East Indies should they ever get the chance to. If that should pass, it'll be a matter of time for the colonial economy to eventually threaten homeland's primacy, and they'll make sure it will be restricted and regulated so it won't go out of hand, from their perspective. Most likely outcome we can expect is that NEI will be granted independence under some kind of arrangement that will benefit Netherlands or at least protect it from undesired possibilities.
However, what if, say, the industrialization of the colony might get somewhat out of hand, leading to a shift of industrial center towards East Indies, and ultimately political center ? How can that be possible ? Personally, I think short of cheating on democracy at home by determined profit-thirsty one percenters with no leash, it just won't happen. How do we get those said one percenters ?